It's Christmas Time

So the holiday season is upon us. We have already seen a million commercials telling us what we need, how and where to spend our money and what to buy to make ourselves and others happy. I don't know about you but in our house, we are already annoyed. The constant barrage of consumeristic propaganda can be hard to ignore, hard not to succumb to. The rush of shoppers out to save money and buy, buy, buy is all that has been on the news. But where does our money go? Who is really making the products that we are buying? Who are we giving to? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad or get on a soap box. We are simply trying to get others to think about what they buy before they buy it instead of just blindly consuming. As in many decisions in life, there are always choices. We don't have to be slaves to the industries trying to sell us our their stuff. We can inform ourselves about what we buy, where it is made, how it's made, who gets the proceeds, etc.

So, in our home this year we are making an even more concerted effort than in years past to buy responsibly and ethically. We are trying to buy items that are organic, fair trade, PVC free, and safe for everyone. We want to make sure that the products we are consuming are actually giving back to the people that are making them. This means that we don't want our money going to sweatshops, child labor, items that contain potentially harmful chemicals, or anything that depletes or harms the ecosystem. Maybe this sounds crazy to some of you, right in tune to others. But over the last few years we have come to see how what we buy reflects our values, ethics and beliefs as followers of Jesus.

Yes, fair trade and organic usually cost significantly more than other items. But what is the real cost? If we in America, one of the richest nations in the world, aren't paying, who is? At whose expense are we saving? It is really ethical for us to pay less for something to save a few bucks if it means that the man, woman or child who made it only gets a penny? Is it not better to forfeit one (insert coffee shop here) coffee a day to shell out a few extra dollars on a product where you know the people making it receive a living wage and work in a safe enviornment?

Again, this is an issue we as a couple still wrestle with and are certainly not perfect. It is hard to resist the consumeristic tendencies of our culture. (Although Dave struggles much less than me with wanting to buy things!) It is hard to find places to shop when everyone outsources to someone else. But what we can do is make informed decisions. We can look into retailers before we shop. We can ask quesitons, look for places that sell fairly traded and organic products and give them our business. As we have become more informed about the issues surrounding consumerism, labor and responsible shopping, we have found a few helpful resources. As I said before, this is still something that we are learning more about, seeking to implement in more holistic ways and wrestle with ourselves. So if any of you have resources to add to the list, PLEASE do! But for now, here are a few places to check out.

www.coopamerica.org - a ton of information on products, businesses, responsible shopping, etc
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com - Skin Deep cosmetic safety database
www.fairtradeusa.org- Information on Fair Trade products and where to find them
www.heifer.org- alternatives gifts that really give back
www.tenthousandvillages.com- fairly traded products produced around the world
www.purehomeproducts.com- a great online store with organic, non-toxic items for home and family

Harvest Time

Thought we'd share a few photos of Mason, the Lion, from Fuller's Harvest Festival and from Halloween. This year Mason and Krystle (our former neighbor) actually went trick or treating in a neighborhood by our new place. They had fun going door to door. Mason only got scared once when he saw a kid coming toward him with a "Scary Movie" mask on. He said, "no, no, no" and wimpered a bit. He got over it pretty quickly though!